3 years later...and Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes

Three years ago today, I published my very first post here on Galexi Cupcakes & Sweets.  To this day, I’m still not entirely sure what it was that prompted me to start a food blog. The truth is, I enjoy spending time in the kitchen and I read a lot of food blogs and food magazines and I watch a lot of cooking shows. One of my favorite movies is Soul Food, wholly in part because of all the cooking that goes on in that movie. I suppose if anything, I thought it would be a good way for me to share the love of cooking with my two daughters and make some memories. 

And now here I sit three years later, and I can say that this blog has become a part of my life in many ways. Naturally, it resulted in an improvement in both my cooking and baking skills. I used to bake all my desserts from boxed mixes or I would purchase them from the bakery section of my grocery store.  And though, sometimes a boxed mixed is the way to go for different reasons, scratch baking seems to offer so much more.  One of the best parts of blogging is the natural progression of our journey in food, our family is now focused on eating healthier, less processed and more sustainable foods.  This year we had our own vegetable garden with lots of healthy and pesticide free veggies.
I cannot believe that three years ago I was still using frosting from a can, eating fast food breakfasts and spending tons of money buying lunch. How times have changed.

Most importantly, this blog has allowed me to make other people happy about being in the kitchen and preparing great food, and that is truly inspiring.  As if the joy of inspiring others weren’t enough, I’ve been able to really connect with so many wonderful readers. We have become friends, we have supported each other and we look out for one another.  All I can really say is thank you.

And to celebrate you, my readers who lift me up, I have a giveaway as a thank you.

Click on the tab above to head to the giveaway page or click on the link.

Now on to the THE cupcakes!

When I received my copy of Baked Elements, the third and newest cookbook by wonder bakers,
Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, this was the recipe that I bookmarked to celebrate my blog's third anniversary. It just seem fitting. This wonderfully written cookbook is arranged by ten of the ingredients most favored by Lewis and Poliafito. Filled with mouth watering pictures and easy to follow recipes, this cookbook is their best one yet. I love it!!

Using mayonnaise in my baking is not new to me. I like how moist mayo makes baked cakes come out. None of that dry stuff for me. The original recipe calls for pairing these deletable cupcakes with chocolate frosting, I went with cookie butter frosting because I ran out of chocolate, oh boo hoo!


Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 ounces good quality dark chocolate, coarsel chopped
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups AP flour
1 1/4 tsps baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/3 cups mayo (regular mayo, do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Cookie Butter frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup cookie butter spread (i.e. Biscoff or TJ's)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

Cupcake Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium heatproof bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat both sugars and the mayo together until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat themixture until it is completely combined and uniform in color. Add the vanilla and beat again.

Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternationg with the chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupckes comes out clean.


Biscoff Buttercream Frosting

Make the Cookie Butter Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened butter and biscoff spread on low to medium speed. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended (it will look like dough).

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk, a little bit at a time, while blending on low speed. Blend until well combined. You'll start to see the icing pull apart from the sides of the bowl. Add a little bit more milk to get the right consistency. Keep blending at medium high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Use a large star tip and a decorator bag and pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes. Store can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator if making beforehand. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before icing.

Assemble the cupcakes:
Fill a pastry bag with a star or swirl type of tip, fill the bag with frosting, and pipe enough to cover the cupcakes in a big mound. Go ahead, pile it high to the sky! You can also use an offset spatula or even a butter knife to frost your cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles and some pink sugar.


Source: Chocolate cupcakes Baked Elements by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito. Cookie butter frosting my own.